Autumn's Kiss
by Jazzele
Summary: Sakuno's lost. Again. But this time, another Prince is going to save her. "Were you avoiding me?" "No, of course not!" Akaya/Sakuno
1. Starting Blush

Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis.

Kanagawa, Japan

"I'm lost."

She refused to believe it. Not now.

Never mind the fact that it _always_ happened, that she _always_ seemed to lose her way around even the _school campus_ which she had spent 3 years in.

She groaned. "Mou Sakuno… how can you do this to yourself? Your 16 and you still can't get around by yourself". She sighed.

Ryuzaki Sakuno, in her denim miniskirt, pink long sleeve top and knee high black boots with pink strings that laced up the front, complete with a pink beret and fluffy pink scarf wrapped around her neck, was admittedly, lost.

The bustling crowd around Sakuno didn't seem to notice as she mumbled to herself about her dilemma. Which was a good thing, goodness knows it would be worse if they think her crazy.

Her head lifted determinedly, her long auburn hair that was loose flowed behind her. "Iya Sakuno! Don't lose hope so easily! You will not call for help this time! You will find your way to Auntie Karei's house by yourself!" She told herself, trying to bring her good cheer up.

Unfortunately, her little 'Pep Talk' had been a little louder than necessary and had attracted some eyes towards her. She blushed when she finally noticed and ran off in search of a map; her own "Savior" from her bad sense of direction.

Intent on finding a tourist station around her, she forgot to look forward and subsequently bumped into a hard wall; where, she of course, with her sense of misdirection, also came with the lack of balance. She tripped backwards and in a frantic sense of panic, grabbed onto something to hold onto, which was the 'wall' in front of her; which then was proceeded to fall down with her. Excuse me, I meant, _on top_ of her.

"Oof"

"Itai"

Came the twin groans from the cement covered sidewalk. People stared but eventually continued on their way. It wasn't like anyone died, right?

Sakuno was laid flat on the ground. Her eyes were shut and were afraid to open as she knew, _just knew_, she had dragged someone down in her accident. Again.

"Ouch. Hey watch where you're going, will y-!" The voice paused. In the same seconds, Sakuno realized "that voice sounds familiar…'

"Ah! Saku-bunny!" The voice cheerily spoke up.

She opened her eyes. "Akaya-kun!" She smiled at him from her place on the ground, while Kirihara Akaya kneeled over her. His green eyes had a spark of amusement in them and his ever messy black hair swished about in the cold autumn breeze.

"Come on off the floor! You'll get dirty!" He exclaimed as he helped her up from the ground. She thanked Kirihara as she got up and dusted her clothes off. She looked at him and blushed at his intense scrutiny on her.

"What are you doing in Kanagawa, Sakuno? Family vacation?" He asked as he smirked at her, his hands tucked deep into his denim pants and his green turtle neck shielding him from the wind.

"Hai Akaya-kun! I've been here for a week already!" She smiled at him.

"Nani! A week? And you never told me!" He pouted at her. "Were you avoiding me Saku-bunny?"

"Nani! No, of course not! I just didn't want to impose on you!" Sakuno flustered with her answer, believing Akaya's frown to be real.

Akaya chuckled then, "What gave you that idea? You know you couldn't do that! I missed Saku-bunny! I haven't seen you in a long time." He looked over her shoulder. "Although looks like Saku-bunny changed a bit didn't she?" He smirked at her.

"Eh?" She cocked her head to the side, confused. A stray lock of hair moved into her vision and she realized what he was talking about.

"Ah! My hair you mean!" At Akaya's nod, she turned a shy pink as she fingered a lock of her hair. "Well, I thought it was time for a change is all. It's kind of discouraging when people continue to ask if you're a still in grade school with pigtails and such."

"So Sakuno wanted to look grown up then?" He grinned at her as she balked, flustered.

"Well, kind of! I mean, it's not bad is it? It's just that is it so bad to want to look my age? I mean, I love my pigtails, don't get me wrong but they don't exactly fit a teenager apparently so-!" She stopped her babbling as Kirihara put his pointer finger on her lips.

He was grinning. "Calm down Sakuno. It's not a bad thing at all." He blushed a light pink as he put his finger down, "… you look nice with it down actually." He told her looking away.

Sakuno blushed as she looked down. "Arigatou Akaya-kun."

"Anyway Saku-bunny!" He told her trying to brek the awkwardness around them. "What are you doing downtown by yourself?" He asked her.

She blushed a deep red (She seemed to be doing that a lot today) as she remembered her predicament.

"Um, you see…"

AN:

Sorry it's short. I'm still fantasizing about some more situations for this. I don't know when will be my next update as my Senior High schedule, as I've just realized, is really, really cramped. Please send out some suggestions if you want to! Reviews are awesome!

As you can see, Sakuno and Akaya are friends, thus comfortable around each other. I changed Sakuno's image a little because I seriously think she'll look better with her hair down. And I want her to get some new outfits too! She's 16 in this story for crying out loud!

I tried to keep Akaya in character but I think I'll try out some situations that will allow the kind of mean Akaya to come out. Perhaps a bully here or there. I just got back in to writing stories again and I remembered a request from before that I got that was never completed.

…My Bad.

I'm doing my best to come out with the one's I didn't do though. So it might take awhile. I might start a set of one shot's. So send your requests in soon! Thank you for reading. And please, Review!


	2. Falling Kiss

Disclaimer: Don't own. Never will.

Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture; Japan

"Arigatou Akaya-kun!" Sakuno smiled as she finished off her strawberry crepe.

"Don't worry about it." Akaya smirked at her, eating his own mint and chip crepe. "Consider this a pick- me-up for getting yourself lost again." They were sitting on a bench in the nearby Yamashita park where just minutes before Sakuno had told him her… dilemma.

She pouted. "Mou… Not funny Akaya-kun." She stuck her tongue out at him. "At least I don't fall asleep in buses."

Akaya reddened. "Well, yes, but I'm a guy. It's not safe for girls like you to get lost. Especially with the way you get lost. You could be heading to a store next door and get yourself lost on the other side of town, at night, in an alley way!" He told her.

Sakuno squeaked. "That's, that's-"

"The truth." Akaya finished for her.

She pouted and looked away. "Whatever Akaya-kun." She knew she had no defense against his words.

Akaya smirked at her and jumped up off the bench they had been resting on. "Well, come on then, let's get what you needed then I'll walk you home."

Sakuno nodded as she too stood up. "Hai. Let's go look for a souvenir shop then." She told him.

"Souvenirs huh?" He thought about it. "Like some mini statues of some shrine Gods or a mini Landmark Tower?"

Sakuno nodded. "Hai. Like that."

Akaya smiled. "I have just the place! Come with me!" Akaya grabbed Sakuno's hand and started walking.

Sakuno blushed but said nothing as she trailed off after him.

Minato Mirai 21, Yokohama

After taking her around the Queens Square Yokohama ("Kawaii! So many cute stuff!" "Sakuno, were looking for souvenirs, remember? Not dolls.") and dropping by the Landmark Tower ("It's so high Akaya-kun!" "Of course it is Sakuno! It _is_ the tallest building in Japan!"), they finally decided to rest at a small café near the Cosmo Clock 21, where they rested their feet ("Sakuno shopped way too much!" "But they were so cute!") and ate small cakes with tea.

Akaya yawned. "Ne, Sakuno, is that enough?"

Sakuno nodded. "It was great Akaya-kun! I got so many great stuff!" She smiled. "They'll love it for sure!"

Akaya nodded. "I hope so. I didn't go through all that _torture _for nothing."

Sakuno giggled. "You're being too dramatic Akaya-kun."

Akaya snorted. "I don't exactly enjoy being dragged like a puppet to _doll_ stores Sakuno."

"I'll make it up you Akaya-kun. Somehow before I leave, I promise."

"Alright then, I'll hold you to that!" He told her.

She saluted. "Hai captain!"

He smiled softly and was going to take a bite of his cake when, all of a sudden, a fist slammed down on the table between them.

A teenage boy, around eighteen was leaning above them, hair greasy, face scattered with acne and slightly yellow teeth, which were currently grinning at Sakuno completely ignoring Akaya. "Hey there, cutie. Are you from around here?"

Sakuno looked up, eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights. "Um… no?"

They boy grinned. "Shy are you?" He stuck out a sweaty hand. "I'm Migushi Nikibi. Want to hang out with me later? I'll show you around _my town_."

Akaya narrowed his eyes in annoyance. "I don't think so." He stood up glaring at the newcomer.

Nikibi smirked at Akaya. He flexed his (nonexistent) muscles. "What are you going to do about it, _kid_?"

Akaya growled, eyes starting to turn a more crimson color. "Don't test me, _baka_."

Nikibi glared, not noticing the change in Akaya's visage. Sakuno however, _did_.

She stood up. "Akaya-kun, it's ok." She turned to Nikibi "I'm sorry sir." She bowed, "I am busy for the rest of my stay here. Please allow me to politely reject your offer."

Nikibi, allowed himself a blush as he noticed the manner in which Sakuno rejected him. He scratched the back of his neck. "Ah, alright, just because you said so." He bowed as well to her. "Gomen ne for intruding on your visit with you're…. _friend _here." He reluctantly uttered the word friend as he glared at Akaya.

He turned back to Sakuno. "I'll be leaving now then. Maybe next time?" He grinned hopefully at her.

Sakuno smiled gently. "Maybe."

Nikibi shrugged. "Good enough." He turned around and waved as he walked away. "See you."

Sakuno waved back. She turned back to Akaya and frowned as she saw his head was bowed, shading his eyes from being seen. "Ne Akaya-kun? Daijobu?"

He lifted his head and stared at her. 'His eyes are back to normal at least', Sakuno thought, relieved.

She didn't have time to focus on that thought though. "You do realize that guy just tried to pick you up?" He told her angrily. "Why didn't you let me handle it?"

She cocked her head to the side confused. "But that's normal Akaya. I can handle situations like that myself. Tezuka-nii taught me karate, remember?"

Akaya growled. "That's not the point!" He insisted. "I'm the guys here! At least let me handle things like that for you!"

Sakuno blinked, once, and then started giggling uncontrollably. Akaya stared at her as though she had grown another head.

"Ne, what's so funny?"

Sakuno wiped tears out of her eyes. "Ne, Akaya, I don't need you to be my knight in shining armor, you know?"

Akaya blushed, sputtered then growled and looked away. He closed his eyes and said. "You're hopeless! Let's go already! It's getting dark." He told her as he walked away with his bag slung over his shoulder.

Sakuno grinned, grabbed her own bags then ran after him. She caught up to him side by side, looked at him, giggled, and then kissed him on the cheek.

Akaya paused in shock as she ran forward and turned back to him, "But I'm glad I'll be sure I'm safe when I'm with you." She told him before running ahead to the train station.

Akaya mulled over the thoughts in his head before running after her. "Ne, come back here! You'll get lost again for sure! Stay near me! Sakuno!"

_Just so I can have an excuse to be near you. _

_AN:_

Done. I think. I really can't think anything else for this. I'm really much better with one shots. Maybe I'll make a drabble or something. Thanks to all those who reviewed like rachie6252, rebirthreborn,SasoLOVE111, midnight blue08. Thanks to paranoia syndrome for remembering me from my earlier years! I can't believe people remembered me among all the other great stories. ^^ That really made my day.

I hope my writing improved, even just a little bit. Feel free to criticize, just not too harshly, ok? I hope the ending is nice and I hope to make more again soon. Thank you for reading. Please review!


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